Asda store slapped with low hygiene rating

An Asda supermarket has been told it needs to make 'major improvements' after being slapped with a one star hygiene rating.

Following an inspection by Knowsley Council's environmental health officials, the Asda in Huyton was graded with a one star rating out of a possible five. Information made available online by the Food Standards Agency said 'major improvements' are now needed at the store.

The site is located in Huyton Village and is one of the largest Asda supermarkets on Merseyside. As well as its staple food shopping offer, the Asda in Huyton also includes a pharmacy, an opticians and more pertinently, a café and restaurant area.

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The retail store was officially opened in 2005 and underwent a large-scale refurbishment in 2016 which saw the installation of a Decathlon sports shop and an America-style express diner.

While no details have been released as to the reason for the poor hygiene rating, it is understood officials will have examined the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage. The cleanliness and the condition of its facilities and building would also be assessed by inspectors.

Food safety officers would make additional assessments on the layout of the store, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control. They would also look for a robust system of checks to ensure the safety of all food sold or served within the store and analyse evidence that staff are trained on food hygiene protocols. To obtain a good rating, the officers would need to have assurance that all high standards will be maintained in future.

Responding to the report, a spokesperson for Asda said: “We take the hygiene of our stores extremely seriously and can reassure customers we have plans in place to rectify the issues identified in the recent inspection at our Huyton store.

As soon as the identified issues have been resolved, we will be applying for a re-rating which we expect to reflect the high standards that we set for ourselves.”

A new rating is given each time a business is inspected and each local authority plans a new programme every year. The frequency of inspections depends on the potential risk to public health. Businesses that pose a higher risk are inspected more often than businesses that pose a lower risk.

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the rating scheme helps consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them clear information about a business’s hygiene standards. The rating acts as a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection.

The FSA said that all businesses should be able to achieve the top rating of 5.

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